I used Galen Berry’s marbled paper on the drawers and endpapers of my thesis project, Coincidentally, he held a workshop this weekend which I had the happy opportunity to attend. I have attempted marbling at home with varying results and was eager to get some tips from an expert. In class, I soon realized the many errors of my previous marbling ways — my paper was probably not coated with enough alum, I was using methylcellulose instead of carrageenan, and my paints of choice (golden liquid acrylics) are probably the least useful acrylics for marbling. I had burned out (temporarily) on marbling after my unsuccessful and semi-successful experiments, but the class renewed my confidence. Examples from my own hand (under the instructor’s guidance) are pictured below.

The marbling process makes experimenting with color a simple task, and I had fun with a crazy variety of color combinations. Some were surprisingly successful and others not so. The large one above is probably my favorite with the red peacock taking second place. I was surprised by how well fabric can accept marbling—the last example is on cloth.

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